My minds image of my Ellen <br />Is like a rose preserved from time. <br />Or like a treasured bottle <br />from a vintage year for wine. <br /> <br />I am haunted by her memory- <br />How our fingers intertwined. <br />The fragrance of her body <br />as I held it close to mine. <br /> <br />I was Mars and you were Venus <br />your head rested on my chest. <br />A summer rain began to fall <br />persuading us to dress. <br /> <br />Now just the shadow of your smile <br />Brings tears to a dry place. <br />Funny how my heart can race <br />Within the ghost of your embrace. <br />. <br /> <br />You are unchanging, therefore perfect <br />Your aspect is divine. <br />I believe our year was vintage- <br />for love, if not for wine. <br /> <br />(Fifth poem in the Ellen cycle, A summer picnic at Planting Fields, Arboretum in 1979. It was a picnic, marked by a brief rain, where we shared a bottle of Mouton Rothschild) <br />.<br /><br />John F. McCullagh<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/it-was-a-very-good-year/
